Overview

The concept of, and practices supporting, data sovereignty is a critical element in the AI ecosystem. It covers considerations of the “use, management and ownership of AI to house, analyze and disseminate valuable or sensitive data”. Although definitions are context-dependent, operationally data sovereignty refers to stakeholders within an AI ecosystem, ad other relevant representatives from outside stakeholder cohorts to be included as partners throughout the AI-LC. Data sovereignty should be explored from and with the perspectives of those whose data is being used. These alternative and diverse perspectives can be captured and fed back into AI Literacy programs, exemplifying how people can affect and enrich AI both conceptually and materially. Various Indigenous technologists, researchers, artists, and activists have progressed the concept of, and protocols for, Indigenous data sovereignty in AI. This involves “Indigenous control over the protection and use of data that is collected from our communities, including statistics, cultural knowledge and even user data,” and moving beyond the representation of impacted users to “maximising the generative capacity of truly diverse groups.”